ELIZABETH, NJ — Two Hayward Industries products were chosen "Most Valuable Product" for 2009 by the readers of Aquatics International, a leading publication for the pool and spa industry. Hayward Pool Products was honored for its Stratum™ VRS, safety vacuum release system. AquaVac, a Hayward Industries division, was honored for its Pro 21 Cleaner.

"Hayward Industries continues to introduce forward-thinking, revolutionary products across all Hayward brands," says Kevin Potucek, vice president of product management Hayward Pool Products. "Both the Hayward Stratum VRS and AquaVac Pro 21 Cleaner are representative of our commitment to delivering in-demand, high quality pool products to the industry. In an environment of rapidly advancing technology, being chosen by the readers is an extreme honor."

A number of Stratum's features work together to provide multiple layers of protection against suction entrapment. A change in vacuum activates the vacuum release system in less than one second, vents the suction line to atmosphere and turns off the pump. . Stratum VRS also goes through a complete internal test during every startup prior to the monitoring phase to ensure all components are properly functioning. "Stratum auto resets and restarts in protection mode eliminating "nuisance trips" or calls to a service technician to restart the system because of a towel or pool toy," states Potucek. The newest safety innovation from Hayward meets the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) A112.19.17 and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F2387 standards for residential and commercial swimming pool, spa, hot tub and wading pool suction systems

Pro 21 Cleaner is one of the most powerful and efficient manual vacuums designed for service and commercial applications. The battery-operated, self-contained cleaner comes equipped with a non-destructible 21 inch cleaning head, requires no priming, hoses, hook ups, extension cords or power from the pool system. It pumps up to 16,000 gallons of water per hour and comes complete with caddy cart for easy maneuverability from pool-to-pool and in and out of storage. "AquaVac Pro 21 has become a must-have for service professionals looking for power, efficiency and speed incorporated in one design," says Potucek.

For more information, or to schedule an interview with a Hayward spokesperson, please contact Asa Johnson at 314.746.1963 or johnsona@osborn-barr.com.

About Hayward® Industries Hayward Pool Products, a division of Hayward Industries, Inc., has been America's first choice in residential swimming pool equipment for more than 40 years. The company markets the Totally Hayward® System of advanced pool equipment to help address some of the challenges faced by many pool owners such as safety, energy efficiency and maintenance time and costs. The company's diverse product line includes pumps, filters, heaters, heat pumps, automatic pool cleaners, controls, colored lighting, valves, vacuum release systems, drain covers and other general pool products for residential and commercial applications.

Another Hayward Industries division, Goldline Controls® offers electronic controls for total pool automation, total pool chemistry management, solar applications and electronic chlorine generators. These products are integral components of the Totally Hayward® System. Goldline Controls is headquartered in North Kingstown, R.I. For more information, visit www.goldlinecontrols.com.

Hayward Industries is headquartered in Elizabeth, N.J. For more information, contact Hayward at (908) 351-5400 or visit www.haywardnet.com.